How to fully uninstall VirtualBox on Mac
Dragging VirtualBox to Trash leaves behind virtual machine disk images, kernel extensions, startup daemons, and configuration files. Here's how to remove everything.
8+
Leftover locations
1 – 50+ GB
Typical leftover size
Yes — requires removal
Kernel extensions
What VirtualBox leaves behind
VirtualBox leaves VM disk images (often 10-50+ GB each), kernel extensions, startup daemons, and configuration files. The default VMs folder is in your home directory:
| Location | Contents |
|---|---|
| ~/Library/VirtualBox/ | Default VM storage, logs, and global settings (VirtualBox.xml) |
| ~/Library/Preferences/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox.plist | App preferences |
| ~/Library/Preferences/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBoxVM.plist | VM window preferences |
| ~/Library/Saved Application State/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox.savedState/ | Window state |
| ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.virtualbox.startup.plist | Startup daemon for VBox services |
| ~/Library/Application Support/VirtualBox/ | Extension packs and additional data |
| ~/VirtualBox VMs/ | Default virtual machine disk images (can be huge — 10-50+ GB each) |
| /Library/Application Support/VirtualBox/ | System-level support files and kernel extensions |
Manual removal (step-by-step)
- 1. Quit VirtualBox completelyShut down all running VMs, then quit VirtualBox via ⌘Q or right-click the Dock icon and choose Quit.
- 2. Run the official uninstallerVirtualBox ships with an uninstall script. Open Terminal and run:
/Applications/VirtualBox.app/Contents/MacOS/VirtualBox_Uninstall.tool. This removes the app and kernel extensions. - 3. Remove virtual machine disk imagesDelete the
~/VirtualBox VMs/folder to reclaim disk space. Back up any VMs you want to keep first — these files can be 10-50+ GB each. - 4. Open Library in FinderPress ⌘ Shift G in Finder and type
~/Library. - 5. Delete leftover folders and filesNavigate to each location in the table above and delete the VirtualBox files. Check Preferences, Saved Application State, Application Support, and LaunchDaemons. Use ⌘ Delete to move to Trash.
- 6. Empty TrashOnce you're confident, empty the Trash to reclaim disk space.
Automated removal with Zapper
Instead of hunting through 8+ directories manually, Zapper finds everything in seconds:
- Before deleting VirtualBox, drop
VirtualBox.apponto Zapper's window. - Zapper scans all 11 Library directories and shows every leftover file with its path and size.
- Review the list, check the files you want to remove, and click Zap.
- Files move to Trash — covering caches, preferences, and support files in ~/Library. Note: VMs in ~/VirtualBox VMs/ and system kernel extensions require manual removal.
VirtualBox kernel extensions
VirtualBox installs kernel extensions (kexts) for networking and virtualization. These low-level system components allow VirtualBox to create virtual network adapters and access your CPU's hardware virtualization features.
The official uninstaller removes these kernel extensions automatically. However, if you manually delete VirtualBox by dragging it to Trash, the kexts will remain on your system — potentially causing conflicts with other virtualization software or system updates.
/Library/Application Support/VirtualBox/
This system-level directory contains kernel extensions and support files. Always run the official uninstall tool or use Zapper to ensure these are properly removed.